USPTO Patents Application 09885324

CLAIMS

What is claimed is:

1 1 . A method for mediating access to production devices, comprising:

2 acquiring an access request for a production device;

3 retrieving an interface for the production device, the interface having user

4 accessible controls for selecting production options for a document;

5 presenting the interface to a client; and

6 returning to the production device production options selected through

7 the interface.

1 2. The method of Claim 1, wherein the act of acquiring comprises

2 intercepting an access request directed to the production device.

1 3. The method of Claim 1, wherein the act of acquiring comprises

2 redirecting the access request.

1 4. The method of Claim 1, wherein the acts of acquiring and

2 retrieving are performed on a network device other than the selected production

3 device.

1 5. The method of Claim 1, further comprising, before the act of

2 returning, placing production data in a queue, the production data representing

3 selected production options and access instructions for the document, and

4 wherein the act of returning comprises returning the production data from the

5 queue.

1 6. The method of Claim 5, further comprising providing an interface

2 having user accessible controls for managing production data in the queue.

1 7. The method of Claim 1, further comprising providing an interface

2 having controls for displaying the status of the production device.

15

Attorney Docket No.

10007645-1

1 8. The method of Claim 1, further comprising obtaining and verifying

2 credentials and wherein the act of presenting comprises presenting the interface

3 only upon verification of the credentials.

1 9. The method of Claim 8, wherein the client is a web browser and

2 the act of obtaining comprises obtaining credentials using a cookie provided by

3 the web browser.

1 10. The method of Claim 1 wherein the act of retrieving comprises

2 retrieving the interface in the form of a web page and the act of presenting

3 comprises presenting the web page to a web browser.

1 1 1 . A method for mediating access to production devices, comprising:

2 acquiring a client's access request for a production device;

3 obtaining credentials from the client;

4 upon verification of the credentials, retrieving an interface from the

5 production device, the interface having user accessible controls for selecting

6 production options for a document;

7 presenting the interface to the client;

8 placing production data in a queue, the production data representing

9 selected production options and access instructions for the document;

10 providing an interface having user accessible controls for managing the

1 1 production data in the queue; and

12 returning production data from the queue to the production device.

1 1 2. A computer program product for mediating access to production

2 devices, the product comprising a computer useable medium having computer

3 readable instructions thereon for:

4 acquiring an access request for a production device;

5 retrieving an interface from the production device, the interface having

6 user accessible controls for selecting production options for a document;

7 presenting the interface to a client; and

16

Attorney Docket No.

10007645-1

8
9

returning to the production device production options selected through
the interface.

1 13. The product of Claim 12, wherein the instructions for acquiring

2 include instructions for intercepting an access request directed to the production

3 device.

1 14. The product of Claim 12, wherein instructions for acquiring include

2 instructions for redirecting the access request.

1 1 5. The product of Claim 1 2, wherein the instructions for retrieving

2 and presenting comprise instructions for retrieving and presenting from a device

3 other than the production device.

1 16. The product of Claim 12, comprising further instructions for placing

2 production data in a queue, the production data representing selected production

3 options and the access instructions for the document, and wherein the

4 instructions for returning comprise instructions for returning the production data

5 from the queue.

1 17. The product of Claim 16, further comprising instructions for

2 providing an interface having user accessible controls for managing production

3 data in the queue.

1 18. The product of Claim 12, further comprising instructions for

2 providing an interface having controls for displaying the status of the production

3 device.

1 1 9. The product of Claim 1 2, comprising further instructions for

2 obtaining and verifying credentials and wherein the instructions for presenting

3 comprise instructions for presenting the interface only upon verification of the

4 credentials.

17

Attorney Docket No.

10007645-1

1 20. The product of Claim 19, wherein the client is a web browser and

2 the instructions for obtaining comprise instructions for obtaining the credentials

3 using a cookie provided by the web browser.

1 21 . The product of Claim 1 2, wherein the instructions for retrieving

2 comprises instructions for retrieving the interface in the form of a web page and

3 the instructions for presenting comprises instructions for presenting the web

4 page to a web browser.

1 22. A computer program product for mediating access to production

2 devices, the product comprising a computer useable medium having computer

3 readable instructions thereon for:

4 receiving a client's access request for a production device;

5 obtaining credentials from the client;

6 upon verification of the credentials, retrieving an interface from the

7 production device, the interface having user accessible controls for selecting

8 production options for a document;

9 presenting the interface to the client;

10 placing production data in a queue, the production data representing

1 1 selected production options and access instructions for the document;

1 2 providing an interface having user accessible controls for managing the

13 production data in the queue; and

14 returning production data from the queue to the production device.

1 23. In a computer network, a system for managing electronic

2 document production, the system comprising:

3 one or more production devices;

4 a client operable to identify a target document, issue an access request

5 for a selected production device, and select production options;

6 a mediation service in electronic communication with the client and the

7 production device or devices, the mediation service operable to acquire the

8 access request for the selected production device; retrieve an interface for the

18

Attorney Docket No.

10007645-1

9 selected production device, the interface having user accessible controls for

10 selecting production options for the target document; present the interface to

1 1 the client; and return selected production options with access instructions for

12 the target document to the selected production device.

1 24. The system of Claim 23 wherein the interface is a web page and

2 the client is a web browser.

1 25. The system of Claim 23, wherein the mediation service includes:

2 an interface conduit operable to mediate communication between the

3 client and the selected production device; and

4 a production engine operable to manage the return of the selected

5 production options and access instructions for the target document to the

6 selected production device.

1 26. The system of Claim 23, wherein the mediation service includes a

2 permission engine operable to limit the mediation service to returning the

3 interface to a client presenting verified credentials.

1 27. The system of Claim 25, wherein the production engine includes:

2 a queue operable to provide a holding bin for the returned production

3 options and access instructions;

4 a production manager operable to manage the queue; and

5 an interface generator operable to provide the client with an interface

6 having user accessible controls for directing the production manager.

1 28. The system of Claim 27, wherein the interface generator is a web

2 server and the interface the web server provides is a web page having a network

3 address accessible by a web browser.

1 29. In a computer network, a system for managing electronic

2 document production, the system comprising:

19

Attorney Docket No.

10007645-1

3 one or more production devices;

4 a client operable to identify a target document, issue an access request

5 for a selected production device, and select production options;

6 an interface conduit operable to mediate communication between the

7 client and the selected production device;

8 a permission engine operable to limit the mediation service to returning

9 the interface to a client presenting verified credentials;

10 a queue operable to provide a holding bin for the returned production

1 1 options and access instructions;

12 a production manager operable to manage the queue; and

13 an interface generator operable to provide the client with an interface

14 having user accessible controls for directing the production manager.

20

Attorney Docket No.

10007645-1